She might be one of the most beautiful women of daytime television, but this actress is dealing with a chronic condition that many people don’t know about. Actress McKenzie Westmore, who is best known for her role as Sheridan on Passions, has recently opened up about a secret that she has kept to herself up until now.
Passions’ McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) Opens Up About Her Chronic Condition
McKenzie was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when she was just 10-years-old. And now the actress is looking to help raise awareness about the disorder while also opening up about her own feelings and struggles. One of the reasons why McKenzie has kept quiet about her diagnosis is because she didn’t want it to hurt her acting career.
While a lot of people manage to outgrow their symptoms, McKenzie did not. As a result, she has to spend the rest of her life trying to hide the verbal and facial tics she has to deal with every day. She also says that there is a lot that is misunderstood about the condition.
“Nine times out of ten, people make jokes about Tourette’s, and I’ve just had to go with it because I didn’t want to be the odd man out,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I’ve realized that there’s no such thing as the odd man out, because we all have our own oddities. We should all have that freedom to be able to speak freely about what our own disabilities are, because we all have our own issues.”
McKenzie also admits that she was often bullied by her peers and even chastised by her own mother for her tics. However, her mother has repeatedly apologized for scolding her, when she didn’t realize that her daughter had a nervous system disorder that she couldn’t control.
“I make a squeaking noise, like a mouse, and I still do it to this day,” she explains. “Most people outgrow it when they’re teenagers, but I did not. Mine exhibits in vocal tics and in facial tics; I furrow my brows. I always had to lie and say that I had dust in my eyes, or if it’s the squeaking noise to try and distract people.”
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